Ball hitting practice devices that suspend balls from ropes mounted to horizontal support members are known. For example, Malwitz U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,618 shows a batting practice device that includes a horizontally extending metal pipe from which a ball is suspended with a rope. The rope passes through a central aperture of the ball. A knot is formed at the end of the rope that holds the ball on the rope. In another example, Rabine U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,113 shows a portable batting system that can be attached to a chain link fence. Additional systems that suspend balls from ropes mounted to horizontal support members are shown, for example, in Lunsford U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,816, Smith U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,561, Ring U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,315, Espinosa et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,820, and Grimes U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,836.
In each of the above-identified systems, however, it is difficult to cause the ball, which is suspended at the end of a flexible rope, to consistently pass through or over the same area.
Other known ball practice devices attach balls to rigid members. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,555 shows a gravitationally restored ball practice device and Shieh U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,203 shows a golf training device that uses a xe2x80x9cdummy ball assembly.xe2x80x9d In these systems, although the ball is required to pass through the same path, the ball does not simulate the natural motion of a free or tethered ball.
Some known devices suspend balls from ropes and tubes. For example, Corley U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,438 shows a batting practice device that includes a ball tethered at the end of a rope and a soft plastic tube that covers a portion of the rope immediately above the ball. In another example, Kregel U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,026 shows a swing training unit that includes a tethered ball mounted beneath a basketball hoop. Although both references suspend a ball using a rope and a tube, the ball does not consistently move through the same or similar path.
Finally, Scher et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,056 shows a baseball practice device that suspends a ball from a xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d shaped tether system that is itself supported by two horizontal arms that are also arranged in a xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d shaped configuration. Unfortunately, the xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d shaped tether system is visually distracting and mechanically complicated and the xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d shaped arms can add substantial weight to the upper portion of the device, potentially destabilizing it.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a ball hitting practice device that is capable of consistently delivering a ball through the same or similar path.
It would also be desirable to provide a ball hitting practice device that is capable of consistently delivering a ball to a user in a smooth and natural manner.
It would further be desirable to provide a ball hitting practice device that is capable of consistently simulating a number of different types of pitches.
It would additionally be desirable to provide a stable ball hitting practice device that is simple to make and use.
It would still be more desirable to provide a ball hitting practice device that includes a ball mounting assembly, which can be releasable.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a ball hitting practice device that is capable of consistently delivering a ball through the same or similar path.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a ball hitting practice device that is capable of consistently delivering a ball to a user in a smooth and natural manner.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a ball hitting practice device that is capable of consistently simulating a number of different types of pitches.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a stable ball hitting practice device that is simple to make and use and that is not visually distracting.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a ball hitting practice device that includes a ball mounting assembly that can be releasable.
In accordance with this invention, a ball hitting practice apparatus is provided that includes a substantially rigid member, a hinge, and a ball mounting assembly. The substantially rigid member has a first, upper end and a second, lower end. The hinge can be supported by a frame and the upper end of the substantially rigid member is fixed to the hinge such that the member can rotate about a substantially horizontal axis. The ball mounting assembly is suspended from the lower end of the substantially rigid member.
Methods for making and using the ball hitting practice apparatus are also provided.